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the revegetation plan and vegetation success criteria may be found on pages 67-76, Part <br />2.05 of Volume 1, and in the Vegetation Appendix of Volume 9A. <br />Disturbance at [he Bowie No. 1 Mine began in late 1975. Currently, additional <br />disturbances aze not anticipated due to the temporary cessation of mining. Initial <br />disturbance occurred prior to any requirements for prepazation of vegetation inventories; <br />thus, portions of this mine site were not surveyed. However, as new areas aze proposed <br />to be disturbed, [hey are first inventoried. <br />A total of four vegetation inventories have been completed to date at this mine site. The <br />first inventory was conducted in 1977 and provided a brief qualitative description of the <br />vegetation types to comply with the existing baseline requirements. With the enactment <br />of the Colorado Surface Coal Mining Reclamation Act, came more stringent baseline <br />requirements. A second inventory for the two reference areas (pinon-juniper and <br />mountain shrub land), and about five (5) acres of the original waste disposal area was <br />conducted in 1981. This study also provided information to allow for the development <br />of a revegetation plan. A third vegetation inventory was conducted in 1982 since the <br />two identified reference azeas did not adequately reflect the intended post-mining land <br />use. This third inventory allowed for the development of acceptable vegetation success <br />criteria and resulted in a modification to the seed mixture. The last inventory was <br />conducted in 1986 at the Bowie No. 1 West Mine. Due to the small acreage disturbed <br />(12 acres), no reference areas were established. However, vegetation success standards <br />were developed specific to this site from the study. <br />Vegetation on the azeas affected by [his mine is characterized bypinon-juniper stands, <br />mixed mountain shrub lands, oakbrush shrub lands, and orchazd land. The <br />pinon-juniper type is the most extensive vegetation type disturbed covering 81 of the <br />144 total disturbed acres. A total of 10.1 acres of the mixed shrub land type has been <br />disturbed. <br />From the four vegetation studies, no proposed or listed threatened or endangered plant <br />species of Federal or state concern were identified. Therefore, pursuant to Rule <br />2.07.6(20(n), the Division finds that mining activities will not affect the existence of or <br />result in the destruction of adverse modification of endangered or threatened species or <br />their critical habitats, respectively. <br />The approved permanent seed mix (pages 70-71, Part 2.05) proposes 28 different grass, <br />forb and shrub species. Each year the operator proposes to seed a minimum of l I <br />species -six grasses and five forbs. Four of the grass species and two of the forb species <br />will be used every year with the other five species coming from the remaining 22 <br />proposed species. A variety of species are included in this list to allow the operator to <br />select species based upon availability and cost. The permanent seed mix will be used <br />for all areas except the orchard azea, which will be planted to apples, peaches, and some <br />cheries at the rate and spacing addressed on pages 30 and 31 of the 1981 vegetation <br />study (Vegetation Appendix of Volume 9A) when topsoil piles that will not be <br />38 <br />